This invention relates to vacuum aeration units with improved construction and methodology in comparison with those of our earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,867 issued Sep. 14, 1999.
As explained in our earlier-above referenced U.S. Patent, there is a continuing need for the development of improved bacterial breakdown of sewage waste material. This invention relates to an improvement on our earlier patented device. It allows for enhancing the lateral oxygen transfer to allow aerobic bacterial to sufficiently and efficiently decompose waste material, often without objectionable odors.
Prior devices, including the device of our earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,867 depended upon substantial agitation of all of the sludge materials in tanks to enhance the rate and efficiency of aerobic bacterial decomposition. As a result, large horsepower units and energy expenditures were often required in order to achieve sufficient agitation to enhance lateral oxygen transfer.
In accordance with the improvement of the present invention, a unit has been developed which is not dependant upon high horsepower and high energy consumption. This goal has been achieved by understanding the relationship between the configuration of the air plate of the unit, the impeller design and the horsepower in relation to the ratio of volume in the tank.
Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a sewage aeration unit which is low in energy consumption, which has a high degree of lateral oxygen transfer to replace the oxygen used by the aerobic bacteria during the digestion process, and which enhances the production of reduced pressure microbubbles capable of dispersing themselves throughout the wastewater in the septic tank by Brownian movements, all without agitating the sludge in the tank.
The method and means of accomplishing the above objectives and advantages as well as others will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention which follows hereinafter.
An improved method and apparatus for aeration of septic tanks and the like. Because of the interrelationship of the rotating impeller, an air plate and the horsepower of the unit in comparison with the volumetric size of the wastewater tank, the unit disperses extremely small reduced pressure microbubbles adjacent to the impeller area. These reduced pressure microbubbles are thereafter dispersed throughout the wastewater by Brownian movement without agitating the sludge. As a result, there is substantially increased lateral oxygen transfer to replace the oxygen used by the aerobic bacteria. The sludge is therefore efficiently digested without the need for huge, expensive and energy inefficient equipment.